Nigerian Financial Powerhouse: Zenith Bank Crowned Africa's Best!

Zenith Bank Plc has achieved significant recognition on the international stage, being named both Africa’s Best Bank and Nigeria’s Best Bank at the prestigious Euromoney Awards for Excellence 2026. This marks the second consecutive year that Zenith Bank has secured the title of Nigeria’s Best Bank, underscoring its consistent performance and leadership in the country’s financial sector. The esteemed awards ceremony took place on July 16 at The Peninsula London Hotel in the United Kingdom, gathering key figures from the global banking industry.

Euromoney, a renowned financial publication, bases its awards on a comprehensive evaluation of various factors crucial to a bank's success and impact. These criteria include a bank’s strategic vision, robust financial performance, effective risk management practices, advancements in digital transformation, and its overall positive influence on customers and other stakeholders. Zenith Bank's triumph in these categories highlights its holistic excellence and commitment to high standards.

Reacting to the distinguished recognition, Adaora Umeoji, Zenith Bank Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, expressed profound gratitude and emphasized what these awards signify. "We are deeply honoured by these recognitions from Euromoney. Being recognised as Africa’s Best Bank and Nigeria’s Best Bank reflects the trust of our customers, the dedication of our workforce, and our commitment to building a global African financial institution," Umeoji stated. She further affirmed that these accolades would serve as a catalyst, motivating the bank to continue its efforts in supporting financial inclusion and fostering business growth across the African continent.

Umeoji also extended appreciation to regulators in all the countries where Zenith Bank operates and dedicated the awards to the bank's visionary founder, Jim Ovia, crediting him with laying the foundational framework for the institution’s remarkable growth and sustained success. The bank's strong performance in the 2025 financial year further solidifies its standing, with reported gross earnings of N4.19 trillion and a robust profit after tax of N1.04 trillion. Significantly, the bank also demonstrated improved asset quality, as its non-performing loan ratio decreased from 4.7 percent to 3.8 percent during the same period. For its shareholders, Zenith Bank distributed a total dividend of N10 per share, amounting to N410.69 billion, for the 2025 financial year.

These latest honours augment a growing list of accolades for Zenith Bank in recent years. The institution has consistently been ranked Nigeria’s number one bank by Tier-1 Capital for an impressive 17th consecutive year in The Banker’s 2026 Top 1000 World Banks ranking. Additionally, it previously received the Nigeria’s Best Bank award at the Euromoney Awards for Excellence 2025, demonstrating a continuous trajectory of excellence and leadership within the banking sector.